Everything the true football fan wants to know about the upcoming football season is packed into this fall’s edition of Dave Campbell’s 2014 Texas Football magazine that hit the shelves last week in most retail outlets across the state. Football season is about to begin.

From six-man high school football all the way to the National Football League, it’s covered in depth in what many call the yearly “Bible” of football, a quasi-religion in Texas.

Most fans look to see where their high school teams are ranked or where they are expected to finish in the district races this year. Hopes for a good season and a playoff contender abound with the ultimate goal being a state championship.

Every district in the state is analyzed to come up with a rational explanation of the playoff races yet to come. Truth be known, Campbell and his staff are pretty accurate, most of the time. But, the prognosticators always have an out, as on even given Friday night, the spirit, the emotion, the injuries and the coaching expertise and mistakes come to the surface and produce upset after upset.

We’ll start with the Trojans in their new District 15-4A DI. The Beeville boys now have a full year under head coach Jimmie Mitchell, who brought in new systems on offense and defense last year. The Trojans move down in classification and expect to be far more of a contender than in last year’s district race.

The Trojans are picked fifth in a six-team race. In the new district, the La Vernia Bears, a region finalist last year, are the favorites with the Gonzales Apaches expected to capture second place, followed by the Pleasanton Eagles, Rockport-Fulton Pirates, Beeville and then Robstown.

Remember, four teams will make the playoffs in each 4A district. The Trojans are coming off their worst season in recent history at 0-10 but have all except one player returning on both offense and defense. With a year in the weight room and a year under Mitchell’s system, the Trojans look to rebound and surprise a few teams this year.

A team could possibly make the playoffs with just two wins. Look for the Trojans to contend for that third or fourth spot on the strength of an upset or two late in the season.

The Skidmore-Tynan Bobcats are also looking to rebound from an 0-10 record from last year under second-year head coach John Livas. The Bobcats will be in District 15-3A DII this year, and it suits the ’Cats a little better than last year’s configuration. Refugio is gone, and the district’s size is cut back to a six-team race.

The young Bobcats from a year ago will have all starters back on both sides of the ball this year. The gain in experience alone will up the performance level of the Bobcats.

S-T is chosen last in the district race with Odem cashing in with the top pick by Campbell followed by the Taft Greyhounds, Banquete Bulldogs, Santa Gertrudis Academy Lions and Bloomington Bobcats in fifth, just ahead of the S-T boys.

The magazine leans heavily on past performances for future predictions. As with the Trojans, a full year of playing time under their new coach should pay dividends this fall for the ’Cats.

S-T could come up with two or three wins in district, and if they get on a roll early and gain confidence, they could be right in the thick of the district race.

The Pettus Eagles are also in a new-look district. The North Bee County boys will slug it out in District 16-2A DII, a five-team district.

Campbell and his soothsayers have the Woodsboro Eagles on top of the district race with the Falls City Beavers moving to another district and out of the way. The Bruni Badgers are expected to gnaw their way into second place with the Pettus boys under first-year head coach Jeff Doege capturing third and a playoff spot. The Agua Dulce Longhorns follow, and Benavides Eagles are predicated to finish last in the district race.

Bruni and Odem finished the season last year with just two losses and will be tough again this year. Both teams have a fair number of starters returning and should be tough to handle. The Pettus boys were 4-6 last year with a very young team. A slightly new system under coach Doege could slow things a little, but that’s what the non-district schedule is supposed to fix.